Star Wars fan films have long been a huge part of the fandom’s community, some of which have become classics in their own right like Troops, and George Lucas In Love. In recent years many have featured some outstanding fight choreography and solid visual effects, like the Darth Maul Apprentice that are truly impressive. That said, among the parody’s and impressive fights featured in many fan films, few explore some of the more philosophical aspects the way that Hoshino does.

Hoshino is a recently released fan film directed by Stephen Vitale and depicts a blind Jedi’s path to mastering the Force. It’s shot pretty well and the visual effects are fine, but its real strength is in its writing, done by Eric Carrasco. Through flashback scenes, we see the blind Jedi Master Ko Hoshino as a padawan in training. Headstrong and reckless, she is overly eager to train with lightsabers rather than wooden swords. It’s during these training scenes that Ko’s former master imparts vital lessons to a young Jedi in training. You can check it out here.

One of the most interesting things in the film is how Ko and her master spar with wooden sabers. It’s awfully reminiscent of the Kendo martial arts style which has a driving philosophy itself that is very much in line with that of the Jedi. Considering that Lucas was inspired by samurai films when first making Star Wars, the link between the two feels natural. As their sessions progress, her Master’s instructions culminate with the classic phrase about Jedi being “the guardians of peace in the galaxy.” It’s very similar to what Obi-Wan told Luke about the Jedi in A New Hope.

It’s those connections and the general philosophy behind them that work really nicely in the fan film. Not to mention that, even though the opportunity presented itself near the end, they held off from including a highly choreographed fight scene that have become commonplace in many Star Wars fan films. Due to the focus of Hoshino, that would likely have been a disservice to the short film.

On the whole, it’s a worthy effort that definitely took quite a bit of work featuring solid VFX and original music. If you’re a Star Wars fan you should give the fan film a watch. You can also check out a short behind the scenes clip below that sheds a little light at just what went into making Hoshino.

Alright Star Wars fans, what do you think of Hoshino? Did you enjoy the fan film? Why or why not? Comment below and let us know what you thought about it!

Hoshino: Star Wars Fan Film Explores Jedi Philosophy

Though there are tons of Star Wars fan films out there, few focus on what it is to be one with the Force.

Star Wars fan films have long been a huge part of the fandom’s community, some of which have become classics in their own right like Troops, and George Lucas In Love. In recent years many have featured some outstanding fight choreography and solid visual effects, like the Darth Maul Apprentice that are truly impressive. That said, among the parody’s and impressive fights featured in many fan films, few explore some of the more philosophical aspects the way that Hoshino does.

Hoshino is a recently released fan film directed by Stephen Vitale and depicts a blind Jedi’s path to mastering the Force. It’s shot pretty well and the visual effects are fine, but its real strength is in its writing, done by Eric Carrasco. Through flashback scenes, we see the blind Jedi Master Ko Hoshino as a padawan in training. Headstrong and reckless, she is overly eager to train with lightsabers rather than wooden swords. It’s during these training scenes that Ko’s former master imparts vital lessons to a young Jedi in training. You can check it out here.

One of the most interesting things in the film is how Ko and her master spar with wooden sabers. It’s awfully reminiscent of the Kendo martial arts style which has a driving philosophy itself that is very much in line with that of the Jedi. Considering that Lucas was inspired by samurai films when first making Star Wars, the link between the two feels natural. As their sessions progress, her Master’s instructions culminate with the classic phrase about Jedi being “the guardians of peace in the galaxy.” It’s very similar to what Obi-Wan told Luke about the Jedi in A New Hope.

It’s those connections and the general philosophy behind them that work really nicely in the fan film. Not to mention that, even though the opportunity presented itself near the end, they held off from including a highly choreographed fight scene that have become commonplace in many Star Wars fan films. Due to the focus of Hoshino, that would likely have been a disservice to the short film.

On the whole, it’s a worthy effort that definitely took quite a bit of work featuring solid VFX and original music. If you’re a Star Wars fan you should give the fan film a watch. You can also check out a short behind the scenes clip below that sheds a little light at just what went into making Hoshino.

Alright Star Wars fans, what do you think of Hoshino? Did you enjoy the fan film? Why or why not? Comment below and let us know what you thought about it!